In between
by elliotbennet
Summary: What the Five-0 team is up to in between episodes. An ongoing tale focused mostly on Steve and Kono but with a little bit of everyone.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Fanfic. I am a huge Five-0 fan. I started this, intending it to be the start of a longer story. My goal is to write one in between each episode leaving the major plotlines alone and focusing mostly on team dynamics so that I can pretend my stories really happen when we are all not looking! This one is meant to come after the Halloween episode and before the most recent one.

Steve could not believe it had come to this. After all of his effort, all of the mental energy he had expended on it he was now reduced to this.

Reduced to hitting on Lori just to throw them off the track. He just couldn't think of what else to do. Lately, things had sort of snowballed. He had raised eyebrows a few weeks back when Catherine came in and he and she were clearly over. But still he brushed questions aside and redirected his team to focus on case after case. No one seemed too suspicious.

But there were times. Chin Ho would look at him with that wary glare. Danny would raise his eyebrows at moments when Steve had just been staring or at least fantasizing. And Kono. Kono was so quietly insightful. It was one of the first things he noticed about her and now he greatly feared she was bringing her skills to bear on the secret he was hiding. And so that brought him to his shameless flirting. It was so not his style. And of course really not fair to her. Just in case she read anything into it. That would be just his luck to lead one team member in to a crush on him in his asinine effort to hide his crush on another team member. It just seemed like the redirecting, the ignoring and the pretending weren't working and of course didn't they always say the best defense is a good offense and so this was his attempt at an offensive drive to keep his team away from his true feelings. Just as Steve had talked himself out of concern for his latest activities the subject of said activities knocked on his office door.

"Steve?" Lori said waiting for his permission to enter. He nodded and she came in, carefully closing the door behind her. Steve knew that look and if she had not been there he may have literally kicked himself for his own stupidity. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer?" She asked him with a smile.

He had to make a choice - brutal honesty or diversionary tactics. He was brave enough the rest of the time he decided. Right now it was okay to take the coward's way out.

'Absolutely." He intoned rising from his seat. Steve brushed by a beaming Lori as he saw Danny and Chin heading out. He stepped just outside his door and called out. "Guys. Beers?" It was neither a complete sentence nor a question and he of course could not expect Danny to let that go.

"Steven," he began. "How many times must we discuss the rules of civilized society?"

"What did I do now?" Steve asked momentarily forgetting his Lori-problem in light of an opportunity to provoke his partner.

"Your lessons have been greatly improving my ability to interact with all you higher mammals." Steve told him. "I was attempting to put all of your wisdom to work at a social gathering involving libations and perhaps food."

"Yes, but calling out two nouns at people does not an invitation make." Danny offered.

"Daniel, Chin Ho Lori has suggested a short excursion to a local establishment to partake in some fellowship and sustenance. Are you amenable?" Steve asked with his hands spread in submission. Chin Ho laughed, but Danny looked like he still might refuse. Steve panicked a little at the thought of "a date" with Lori given what his behavior over the past few weeks might have led her to believe. Danny caught Steve's look.

"I would greatly enjoy that, Steven." Danny said.

"Me too, boss." Chin concurred. Lori had come out from Steve's office and stood behind him. She smiled at this development, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Where's the party?" Kono asked as she walked in while the others were making their way out the door.

"It's a Five-0 excursion for drinks to celebrate . . ." Danny informed her pausing. "What are we celebrating Steven?"

"Another case solved." Steve said with a moderate amount of conviction. Silently adding the real purpose – to stop me from reaping the consequence of my moronic actions.

"I'm in." Kono said. "I just need to log in some notes from the vic I just debriefed."

"Sure," Chin said. "Meet us at Edge when you're done."

"Which Vic?" Danny asked.

"Darla Roberts." She said making her way to her office. "I just had to get some final details to connect Malcolm to her. I know we have him with the forensic evidence, but I thought we could strengthen the connection with some information from our victim."

"Steve, didn't you get a call today from a banker on that case?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Steve said surprised that Danny was even listening to him when he relayed that innocuous detail over lunch. "He faxed over some account statements that show deposits linking Malcolm to the bookie that put the hit out on Darla. I hadn't matched them up with the file yet."

"I can do that, Boss." Kono offered remerging from her office. "I'll just update everything at once."

Steve was about to go in to his office to retrieve the faxes to give to Kono, focusing on not looking at her at all, when Danny offered a suggestion.

"That will just make Kono more late meeting us." He reasoned. "Why don't you stay too and between the two of you the file gets updated twice as fast and you meet us in time to buy the second round.

Steve was suspicious of his partner's motives in arranging his schedule but in no way opposed to his suggestion. Lori, however, was not a fan.

"Considering this group outing started out with just me and Steve I don't think him having to bail for work is fair. . . ." before she could present her arguments in support of this Kono interrupted."

"You and Steve?" Kono asked with a smirk at Steve and, he noted, absolutely no jealousy at all. "Then by all means you two go and Danny and Chin can help me wrap up the paperwork."

Great. She was actually arranging his date with another woman. Did he need any more proof that his feelings were completely unreciprocated? Steve thought back to a few weeks ago and remembered how angry he was when Chin mentioned Kono having a date with that lab guy Charlie. Miraculously Five-0 had needed some evidence processed that very night and somehow Charlie was moved to the top of the on call list. As far as he knew the date was never rescheduled. Fortunately Danny was arguing against Kono's attempts to get him and Lori alone while Steve was lost in thought.

"Hey, I in no way volunteered for paperwork." Danny said. "I did my fair share today and besides I have blood sugar issues that require me to get a beer within the next twenty minutes. They won't be long, Lori and you will find that despite what some people think" this was said with an eyebrow raised at Steve, "I am a fantastic date."

"It's true." Chin agreed handing Lori her purse which he had picked up from the chair outside Steve's office.

"Fine, but you guys are buying the first round." Lori said as Danny "escorted her" out the front door.

"Did that seem at all strange to you?" Kono asked still holding the case file.

"No," Steve lied avoiding eye contact. "Your office or mine?" He asked with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delayed update. This one takes place in between last week's episode (Lapa'au) and this past Monday's (Ike Maka). Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews. Enthusiastic readers are like Manna to a writer's soul! I hope to get my next one up tonight or tomorrow.

Steve looked at the newest plaque on his wall. It wasn't one he had earned, he even felt almost guilty about accepting it from Officer Morrison, but it had obviously meant a lot to him for Five-0 to have the memento and so Steve took it. The posthumous nature of the honor reminded Steve of how danger sometimes lurked in less obvious places. Monica Jensen had no idea the lengths people would go to protect the exotic animal business and all its horrors. And she paid with her life.

"Earth to Steve."

Steve shook his head to clear the morbid thoughts and focused on the woman standing in the door of his office.

"Sorry, Kono. What's up?"

"We caught a case." Steve got up from his desk and headed to the central computer space where Kono began to explain. Danny and Chin emerged from their offices and the four stood around the table. Kono, who had taken the initial call, briefed them on what she knew at this point.

"The Governor's immigration liaison, Ms. Carringer, called." She began. "The Coast Guard has picked up chatter a few miles out that indicates a container ship that is coming in to port may also be carrying some human cargo."

"Sex trafficking?" Danny asked.

"They don't think so." Kono answered pulling up a picture of the ship in question and throwing it onto the screen on the wall she continued. "She said they think it is more likely workers being brought in by certain large employers on the islands."

She went on to explain the ins and outs of a suspected human smuggling ring which catered to employers on all of the islands looking for workers they could exploit with low pay and dangerous working conditions with no fear of their going to the authorities because of their illegal immigration status.

"ICE planned to stop the ship before it docked, but the Governor has other ideas." She finished.

"They want us to track the "cargo,"" Steve guessed.

"Exactly." She said.

Drawing on some of his Navy Seal training Steve was able to begin to formulate a plan for his team to do what the Governor requested while at the same time cataloging this Kono smile amongst all of the others he stored away for frequent consideration.

"Ms. Carringer said they would send you an e-mail within the next few hours with more specific information on the suspected companies involved." Kono told him.

"Great," Steve said. "In the mean time, Chin get all the info you can on that ship. I want to know what they say their manifest says they are carrying and where they say it is going."

"Right." Chin said already typing away on the table board. "That could give us a clue as to who might be receiving the workers. They might have told just enough of the truth to lead us to the buyers."

"Danny," Steve said turning to his partner. "I want you and Kono to go down to the docks where the ship is expected and get the lay of the land. See where our best vantage points will be. Try and determine how they would be able to move their human cargo form the dock to wherever and give us a way to track it. Routes, water and land. I'll do an inventory of our surveillance equipment and see what we might need to requisition from HPD. We need to be ready to move as soon as that boat docks. Once I finish that I'll start to review case files from ICE on cases they've built on employer violators in the past few years. Okay let's do it."

"First of all, Super Seal, did it ever occur to you that we might have some suggestions as to how to proceed on this complicated op?" Danny asked in what Steve silently referred to as his princess tone.

"I apologize, Daniel." Steve said in his most condescending voice. "Do you have any ideas you would like to share with the class?"

"As it happens I do not." Before Steve could point out the idiocy of this Danny continued. "That however is not the point, Steven. You are like a dictator in cargo pants sometimes. I just feel like someone needs to point out the collective intelligence of the rest of the team lest you forget we are capable of thought too."

"Very good of you, Danno." Steve countered. "May we go now?"

"Yes." Danny responded to everyone's relief. But before their collective relief could be expressed he added, "Wait I do have one suggestion if I may."

"By all means." Steve graciously signaled for Danny to share.

"I can meet Lori at the docks and Kono can stay to work with you."

"Trying to get rid of me, Williams?" Kono joked and Steve noted she was once again demonstrating no particular desire to be in his company. Couldn't she even give him something to delude himself with?

"Not at all." Danny assured her. "It's just that I texted Lori while you were updating us on your liaise with the governor's immigration person and she said she'd check in with her bud Officer Morrison before coming here. His office is by the docks so logistically it makes sense for her to hook up with me."

"I see," Kono teased. "You are trying to steal Steve's girl out from under him."

Seriously Kono could you just be a little bothered that you think I'm in to her?

He didn't say that out loud did he, Steve wondered. Sick of the seemingly endless conversation about what was after all only a morning of case prep and not actually substantive police work Steve was once again not opposed to his partner's machinations which left him with Kono. He was however still suspicious of them and he made a mental note to try and get Danny to reveal the motivation behind his recent schemes to team him up with Kono. But for now . . .

"Fine, that makes sense. You meet up with Lori and, Kono you're with me." Please do not notice how happy that sentence makes me.

Chin, who had essentially been focused on his assignment throughout the logistics conversation didn't even look up as Danny exited the office. Steve turned to Kono and indicated she should precede him in the other direction.

"Shall we?"

"Storage locker it is." Kono said as they wended their way to the space behind the open office area where they kept much of the equipment they used on their various operations. "I must say I don't know what I did to Danny to make him want to deny me a day in the sunshine and relegate me to this." She complained indicting the small windowless cramped room they now found themselves in.

So being with me is a punishment? Steve thought. No wait he said that out loud.

"No, Boss." She smiled. "I didn't mean that at all."

Steve tried to brush off his irrelevant feelings of annoyance that she didn't want to be around him and focus them on the task. Fortunately in addition to the fact that he had his military training to allow him to mentally multi-task inventorying surveillance equipment required very little of his actual mind. By unspoken agreement Steve pushed deeper in to the space to find items that might be of use. When he found something he held it up for Kono to record on the tablet she had brought. Sometimes she would raise her eyebrows or crinkle her nose and Steve would realize she did not know what it was. He would tell her and make fun of her just a little. They passed a half hour this way. It was easy and seamless the way they worked together.

It was the same last week when they stayed behind to finish a case report while Danny and Chin took Lori off his hands. Steve and Kono had only taken about an hour to do their actual work. The next two hours were spent in what to Steve was one of the best times he had ever had on a non-date. Some comment of Kono's on Danny's surf lesson led Steve to show her a hilarious video he had shot while Danny tried to actually surf off the beach at Steve's house. Although she felt bad about laughing at Danny's pitiful efforts Kono could not suppress her laughter or her "I told you so" attitude about his needing o master the basics before actually venturing in to the water. After this video Steve insisted they look at one of Kono surfing. They found one, and then half a dozen more, on youtube. The last few were ones where she had taken major falls. She had seemed to want to look at these to show Steve she was not always flawless in the water. He may have been too effusive with the praise. Eventually Kono had insisted they look at Steve's old football games which Chin had left in the office. Lots of trash talking ensued. When they had finally arrived at the bar where the rest of the team had gone the others had been ready to call it a night. Chin stayed to have one beer with Steve and Kono giving Steve a few of what Steve was eluctantly calling his "stay away from my cousin you crazy tattooed old man" look. All in all it had been a good night. Or so he had thought. Kono was clearly not eager for any more alone time with eth boss. Did she sense his attraction? Was he creeping her out?

"What's that, Boss?" Kono asked from her spot on the floor in front of him.

Had any of those thoughts happened outside his head?


	3. Chapter 3

Yet again I failed to get my in between story in before the latest episode! Sorry! This one doesn't really fit in between any, but it definitely takes place before last night's episode. Not sure what to do with that one yet, but I am going to try and work it in to the next one.

I still don't own any of these guys. If only.

Steve was, generally speaking, not someone who revealed feelings or emotions unintentionally. Meaning without a tremendous amount of thought and planning. Generally so much aforementioned thought and planning that said feelings tend to end up unrevealed in the end. In reality Steve did very few things unintentionally. Mary would blame thing on his well developed control issues. Steve preferred to attribute it to his mental discipline. He had little patience for people who threw up emotionally on anyone and everyone who would listen. He was not one of those people. Except, apparently, just now when he may or may not have articulated a long train of thought involving whether or not the woman in front of him and/or the rest of the team was aware that he was ridiculously attracted to her. So much for his stellar control.

"Boss, what were you saying?" Kono asked.

"What did you hear?" he countered.

"Something about tattoos." She said with a smile. "My phone started buzzing away. Danny apparently has a few ideas about what equipment we need and he is sending me texts with like one word each." she held up her phone to show him as it buzzed yet again. "he is so technologically challenged.

I owe him yet again, Steve thought.

"Anyway, did you say something?"

"Nothing important." He responded. "Why don't you check Danny's ideas against our list. I think we've gone through everything."

With that they made their way back to their respective offices. Steve checked his e-mail to see if there were more instructions from the governor. He then began an internet search for headlines involving human smuggling on the island in the past few years. Finding nothing too compelling right away Steve let his mind wander a little. This was of course a mistake because it made him realize that he was furious with himself. Thoroughly unused to being out of control in any way he had little patience with himself in this instance. When, he wondered, when had his logical acknowledgment of all of the wonderful things that made Kono so great led to a full blown crush? Seriously. Last time he gave it any thought it seemed to him he didn't so much as have feelings for her as he was just aware of how great and, let's face it gorgeous, she was. Now he felt distinctly like . . well like he was sixteen years old and had a crush on his teacher. The analogy was backward but the whole forbidden romance part made it seem appropriate. How had this happened?

The first time he saw her he was impressed. Impressed at how she surfed, impressed at how she decked that tourist. And honestly impressed at how she looked in her bikini. That first mission when she went undercover to get to San Ming he had been impressed with her poise and her ability to handle herself under very tough pressure.

Their next assignment had once again found Kono in danger in a warehouse. And once again she completely handled it. He had begun to really respect her abilities that day. She was still the rookie in his eyes but he knew he could trust her with the difficult and the dangerous assignments. Then it seemed like that was all they had for weeks, maybe months. And each case seemed to come with not only a new danger for Kono, but a new skimpy outfit. He had really appreciated the skimpy outfits. Despite that at this point he would still have described his feelings for her as brotherly.

Then Mary came home and shattered that illusion. He quickly saw that although he felt a similar kind of protectiveness for both Kono and his sister the similarity of the feelings ended there. But, being quite the expert in denial, Steve chalked this up to how very different the women were. He trusted Kono to take care of herself much more than he did Mary. He loved Mary deeply, but they had little in common where he seemed to be noticing new similarities between himself and Kono every day. Still these thoughts did not take up a lot of his time or energy. Kono was part of his team and he just enjoyed working with her. He didn't need to overanalyze it. Except when he did. Which was rare. Until recently.

It was college kids kidnapping case that really did it. For whatever reason it was during the investigation on that one that Steve acknowledged he had feelings for the rookie. Well, he didn't really use those words, even in his head, but the realization was there. Still, there was no reason to panic. He wasn't some love struck highschool kid. Still, there were moments when he knew he stared too long or moved too close. And sometime in there it seems like maybe Danny, with his keen detective skills, may have picked up on things. But then it seemed like there wasn't a minute to think about what he wanted to do with his newfound feelings let alone act on them. Chin had a bomb strapped to him. They stole money from HPD. The Wo Fat investigation and then of course there was the whole jail thing for him and the whole kicked off the force thing for her.

This brought him to one of the less than stellar chapters of his crush on Kono book. He avoided her. After she helped clear him he just sort of put her out of his mind. Well not his mind. She was in his head and he couldn't' get her out. The fact that he couldn't control that drove him crazy, but what he could control were his actions and those he determined would not bring him in to contact with Kono until he had eradicated or at least dampened the romantic inclinations that had been running amuck of late. He never doubted they would clear her name. He was in constant contact with the governor and some contacts on the force talking about getting a new hearing or exploring ways he could negotiate her back on to Five-0 even if she didn't have her HPD badge. Chin and Danny were aware of his efforts and he knew they told Kono. They checked on her regularly. Steve made sure of it. They of course would have done so on their own, but he would remind them or he would pick up her favorite dessert or some new type of surfboard wax and ask them to bring it to her. Still, he was a coward because he didn't go to her himself. He offered Danny and Chin lame excuses for this. He offered himself more plausible ones about it really being best that he get the non-professional feelings for her out of his system before she came back. Best for everyone. Really he was almost afraid of what he might say during this temporary (he never doubted that) window where he was not her boss. She didn't need him to complicate her already way too complicated life. Yeah, that was it.

"To what do we owe this aneurysm face?" Danny asked from the doorway.

As much as Danny's abrasiveness appeared to irritate him he was more often than not thankful for his partner's unique way of interacting with him. At this moment, for instance, it saved him from too much introspection. Not that he'd ever let Danny know it though.

"The mere thought of your return." Steve quipped with a smile.

"Just for that no disgusting pineapple pizza for you." Danny declared.

"Oh come on." Steve whined following Danny and the smell of pizza to the kitchen. The rest of the team had gathered around the small table. They were divvying up the pizza and sharing the results of their mornings' legwork. Lori and Kono were laughing about something Chin had said. Chin was trying to explain himself and Danny was stuffing his face with the only pieces of plain pizza. Steve grabbed an everything slice and took a seat opposite Chin. So it just happened to be next to Kono too. No big deal. Sure he had those warm and fuzzy feelings around her, but in this moment watching his team and knowing how much he really cared for each one of them and them for him Steve was content to just be part of her Ohana. For now.


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, so sorry for not updating before now. The last episode threw me for a loop and I was uninspired for a while. This chapter takes place before that one and won't deal with it at all. Thanks so much for the reviews and the encouragement.**

Steve looked up through the broken glass knowing what he'd see. Kono. She had protected them all once again. Not for the first time he was glad he had agreed last year when she asked him to train her on the sniper rifle. She had taken to it like he imagined she had once taken to surfing. It had also given him a chance to spend time with her away from Chin's watchful eye and Danny's ceaseless tongue. They had resumed their lessons after she was reinstated. Steve had been the one to bring it up but she had seemed eager giving him one of those dimpled grins he loved.

"So, Kono," he had approached her in her office after the others had gone home one of those first nights after she came back. "I was thinking about heading out to the base for some target practice. Want to join me and continue your lessons?"

"Really?" she asked eagerly shooting him the aforementioned killer smile. "I'd love that." She was already grabbing things from her desk and putting them in to her purse. She bounced up out of her seat. "Let's go."

As he thought about that day Steve laughed at how enthusiastic she could be about spending time with him when it involved firearms and made a note to himself to somehow include them in his plan for their first date. Because yeah at this point he was admitting at least to himself that he would be asking her out at some point. Now if things continued to move at the same pace this might be happening sometime around the same time Danny declared his love for all things Hawaii. But at least he had gone so far in his internal struggle to resolve that his feelings had become such that he couldn't ignore them indefinitely. For a long time, yes. But not indefinitely.

This musing was done at his desk as he finished up some of the paperwork on the evidence that led them to the plastic surgeon in their most recent murder case. He was just about done when he saw Danny go in to his office. He was excited to see him open the gift he had left there and so he made his way over.

"I'm touched." Danny said in one of his less sarcastic voices. There really wasn't a voice without some sarcasm at least and so it was a sliding scale. "Thank you."

Then came the discussion about Danny apparently planning to move down the street. This did not sit too well with Steve but he chose to express his displeasure in a muted way being fairly certain of two things. First, if he ranted and raved about it this would only make Danny more determined. Second, the way Danny's luck was going with his housing situation something would happen to stop him moving in anyway. He suspected this was residual effect from Danny's violation of the burial grounds last month. The discussion came to premature end when they saw Lori strolling down the hall in a black spandex ensemble.

What the . . . Steve and Danny fought to get out the door of his office. Steve laughed inwardly at Danny's speech to Lori. He had no qualms about revealing his attraction to her. If only he could do that somehow with Kono. Ease her in to the idea. At least introduce her to the concept that he wasn't just the boss, but could possibly be someone who thought of her as something other than the rookie. It wasn't necessarily a well thought out plan. Back to Lori and Max who were now exiting the office arm and arm. Steve turned to Danny.

"Do you think Chin and Kono are going? Steve asked Danny whose mouth was still literally hanging open his eyes fixed on the door Lori and Max had just walked through.

"You don't think they are a couple do you?" Danny asked.

"Max and Lori?" Steve said incredulously. "I doubt it. Do you think Chin and Kono will be at Max's?" Steve repeated"

"Oh maybe." Danny responded shaking his head as if to clear it. "The rookie mentioned something about pink ladies yesterday but I thought it might code for woman's issues and so I changed the subject."

Thanks to his sister Mary Steve had more than a passing familiarity with Grease and even its unfortunate sequel Grease 2 and so he could easily conjure up images of the Pink Ladies and picture Kono in one of their outfits. Definitely a site worth seeing. And more out of office time together, firearms free, went well with his vague plan of changing his image of boss only in Kono's mind.

"I think the only way to get back on Max's good side is to go to this thing." Steve said evenly. He was prepared for Danny to rant. He was prepared to have to promise to do a good amount of his paperwork for the next week while still hearing about the idiocy of this idea the entire time.

"Agreed." That, he did not expect.

"Really?" Steve asked before he could stop himself with an internal speech about not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

"Yeah, really." Danny said. "Otherwise Max will never let us live it down."

Steve was just starting to think he didn't give Danny enough credit. I mean sure he was surly and crabby 95% of the time but when you really needed it he could be okay. Then Danny killed those happy thoughts.

"The only question is how to get you in costume as quickly as possible."

"Me?" Steve stuttered. "Why me? Or why just me?"

"Oh did I not mention I promised Grace I would take her to the Muppets movie tonight. But you need to go and represent for both of us or we will never be able to get any info out of the ME's office again."

The next half hour was a whirlwind of a nightmare for Steve and he suspected something of a blissful Nirvana for Danny. They went to Danny's storage shed where after a few minutes of throwing boxes around he produced a very worn black leather jacket. Being Danny's Steve expected it would be about 3 sizes too small, but as Danny forced him into it he realized it fit perfectly.

"It was Matty's" he said in response to Steve raised eyebrow. "He went through a James Dean phase when he was n college. He left it at my motel one day and I just kept it for him."

"Fine." Steve grumbles. "I'll wear the jacket that should be good enough."

"Oh no, my friend." Danny insists following him out and locking the door behind them.

"What? I have a jacket now I'm a what's it called? T-Bird."

They were in the car now and to illustrate how unSteve like Steve was feeling Danny was driving. When they pulled in to his driveway he threw what he felt must be the hundredth eyebrow raised questioning glance at his partner.

"We need to complete the look." Once inside Danny headed straight up to Steve's room where he began, none too gently, rifling through his drawers.

"What are you doing?"

"You are obviously somewhat familiar with the great musical classic we call Grease."

"Yes." Was the irritated response.

"Well then do you remember seeing a T-bird in cargo pants?"

"No."

"How about Navy sweat pants?" Danny asks holding up a pair.

"No." more a grunt than a word.

"Board shorts?" These get thrown in a pile being created by Danny.

"Fine. You are looking for jeans then?"

"Yes, genius I am." Danny says opening another drawer. "Please tell me you are not the only American under the age of sixty to not own a pair of jeans?"

"You know that question was pretty hard to decipher, but yes I think I have a pair of jeans here somewhere. They would have been easier to find before Hurricane Danny hit. Ahh here they are." Steve declared triumphantly pulling them from the back of his bottom dresser drawer.

"Great." Danny said heading out the door. "Put them on with a white t-shirt. You do have some shirts that aren't blue right?"

"Yes." Steve said pulling a white t-shirt from a pile on the floor. "You know this wardrobe criticism feels very alternate universe."

"I know." Danny smiled. "I like it. One of the many benefits for me of your little crush on Kono." With that he was out the door.

"Wait, what?" Steve called following Danny.

"Get changed and meet me in the bathroom down here." Danny commanded.

"Fine." Steve muttered under his breath.

Two minutes later they were both in the small downstairs bathroom Danny had taken over for his use.

"Now for your hair."

"Of course." Steve sighed. Danny had plenty of hair products to help him arrange his to resemble a fifties greaser and he sat on a small stool and let Danny do his worst.

"So did you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Steve finally answered imagining that silence would only encourage his persistent partner.

"Kono."

"No."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah really. I've been hanging back for a while now waiting until you were ready. I thought maybe you were there, but if not fine."

"That seems very un-Danny of you." Steve observed. "How many gallons of grease are you using? And what do you mean a while?"

"So you do want to talk about it?" he had stopped touching Steve's hair apparently satisfied with the level of grease therein.

"No."

"Fine."

"A while?"

"Yes a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Are you looking for me to tell you when your feelings for our dear rookie changed from "I like you" to I like you like you?"

"What?"

"Excuse me I am around ten year old girls a lot I may occasionally use their language. "

"Fine then, tell me."

"You've been attracted to her since the day we met her."

"You thought she was hot too." Steve whined.

"She is hot." Danny countered. "It occurred to you that she possesses more than just the physical attributes you desire at the football game where we accidentally walked into a gang war. But you were still with Catherine and so you didn't really need to think about it too much. When she took down the cleaner at the courthouse that day I literally thought you were just going to pick her up and carry her away right there. Seriously the look on your face was beyond impressed. That's when I first started to suspect something. Chin didn't catch on until the kidnapping case when you couldn't contain your dopey smile watching her interact with the families." 

"Chin knows?" Steve asked his voice laced with fear and disbelief.

"What is he blind? Of course he knows. Not that we talk about it, but he knows."

A sense of foreboding was building inside Steve.

"Lori?" He asked.

"I doubt it. She's not around us as much after hours and she missed a few of the more obvious moments which illustrated quite clearly your unique affection for dear Kono."

He had to ask.

"Kono?"

Danny smiled. Was he enjoying this? Steve swore to himself that Danny was going to be eating some of this hair grease if he kept that smirk on his face for one more second. Just as Steve reached for the bottle to executive his hastily made plan Danny got serious.

"No."

"How do you know?" Steve persisted.

"Nope that's enough peeking at the cheat sheet for you. You and Kono are just going t o have to figure this one out by yourselves. You are going to be late. Now how do you like your look?" He guided Steve to the full length mirror on the back of the door. Steve had to admit he looked like he would fit right in with the cast of Grease and thus hopefully the guests at Max's party.

"A masterpiece. I have taken you from a Hawaiian Rambo in cargo pants to an east coast greaser." Danny smiled.

Steve was still a little too bewildered about their whole conversation to offer much resistance as Danny handed him his car keys and shoved him out the door. It briefly occurred to him that Danny seemed to be settling and wasn't there a college football game on? Did he not have to pick up Grace after all? This thought was crowded out by others centered around his apparently obvious crush on Kono to navigating a party full of Max's costume clad friends and Kono. And possibly Chin. Yeah this was going to be a long night.

**Sorry to end it there! I really want to know what went on at that party so that will be where I pick up next and then I'll go through the whole Korea episode. My goal is to update by Wednesday, but so far I am not such a champ at meeting my goals!**


	5. Chapter 5

Steve sat in his car outside Max's house for a solid ten minutes. He berated himself for his cowardice, but still there he sat. Perhaps it was the lack of cargo pants and deadly weapons, but he found his usual confidence not at all in evidence. His unwillingness to admit defeat under any circumstances was really the only thing that eventually forced him inside. The noise spilling out of the open windows told him a knock would not be necessary.

About two dozen people were crammed into Max's small living room mid-Grease. As Steve walked in Greased Lightening boomed from what seemed to be a first rate set of speakers. A number of the guests, most of whom Steve vaguely recognized, jumped up and began dancing. Steve snaked his way through the now mobile crowd mostly looking for Kono but willing to settle for anyone he knew not currently doing the moves to Greased Lightening. Lori did not qualify he noted as she was enthusiastically waving her arms and swaying her hips to the music. He spotted a familiar swath of black hair in the direction of the kitchen and he moved that way nodding hello to people he knew and laughing at the highly enthusiastic singing and dancing. Not really his thing, but they sure seemed to be having fun. He was certain the copious number of empty beer and wine bottle strewn about were helping the fun along. And possibly the many half empty pink drinks in funky shaped glasses. He finally made it to the kitchen as a pink lady and two women in pajamas made their way out. They may have been from HPD.

"Looking good, boss." Kono said as he came to stand beside her in the now empty kitchen. "We look like twins." She laughed.

No, they did not. Steve thought. At least he hoped he looked a little more masculine than she did. Because somehow even though she was dressed completely as Grease's male lead she looked nothing but feminine. Although it was true their outfits were virtually identical. Kono had on a tight fitting white t-shirt under a large leather jacket. Her jeans were the definition of skin tight. His favorite part was her hair which looked normal from the back but now that they were face to face he could see that it was slicked back in true greaser fashion. Somehow she made it look sexy. She handed him a beer and sat at the small kitchen table.

"Thanks." He said taking off the heavy jacket and throwing it over the seat back. He then sat down across from Kono.

"I didn't think you were coming." She told him. "I did not think this was your scene."

"Meaning you think I don't know how to have fun?" he challenged hoping his voice sounded light. In reality he wanted to know if she did see him as that stuffy old guy at work.

"Not without a semi automatic weapon and at least one or two people to put a beat down on." She answered with a sideways smile.

Before he could respond she winked at him and confessed, "Sorry, I was channeling Danny. Of course I know you like to have fun, boss, but I assumed that this particular type of fun was not quite up your alley."

Slightly satisfied Steve admitted, "it's not, but Max was giving Danny and I quite the hard time today because we hadn't said we were coming. So I came as a gesture of good will."

"Ah see so your fun is connected to kicking ass in some way. Without Max's cooperation cases could get more difficult to solve."

"Fine then." He smiled, enjoying having her all to himself for once. "I am an all work no play dull dull guy."

"I hardly think so." She said. "But if I am right in this not being your scene then we have that in common. I mean I like Grease as much as the next gal, but I do not feel the need to dress up and reenact it you know ever. But I do love Max and he was so excited about the party and so nervous that people wouldn't come that I promised to come and be in costume."

"You are always so good to your friends. It's one of the things I admire most about you." He hadn't meant to say that out loud and he certainly hadn't meant it to sound as worshipful as it clearly did. Fortunately, or you know suckily, she seemed less surprised and more uninterested in Steve's admiration. In fact she was distractedly looking over his shoulder in to the living room.

"And do you feel like being good to a friend now, Steve?" Her use of his name and the trace of nervousness in her voice got Steve's attention.

"Of course." He felt this answer best to get her to let him know what she was thinking.

"Okay I get that I should face this one head on, but I am a complete coward okay. I get that and accept it. So please just go with whatever I say in the next minute. I promise to let you judge and mock me later. Deal?"

She sounded almost desperate and Steve was more than willing to help without knowing what she needed.

"Why are you hiding in here Kalakaua?" Charlie asked moving in to the mall kitchen. His words were slightly slurred "I was saving your spot on the couch."

So she needed his help flirting with this dork? Steve thought grumpily. Fine, but then he was leaving. He turned toward Charlie about to urge Kono to go back with him. Was she playing hard to get? But he was stopped by Kono's next actions. Before answering Charlie Kono got up and came to stand behind Steve's chair.

"Sorry, Charlie. I thought Steve had to work late, but he finished early and now we are going to get going."

At least that's what Steve thought he heard. He will be forgiven for losing focus somewhat when Kono ran her hand along his neck and gently squeezed his shoulder. Was he meant to be competition?

"Oh, you two . . ?" Charlie looked between them seemingly unable to decide between anger, incredulity and the need for a fifth beer.

"Don't tell anyone." Kono almost giggled moving around Steve's chair and taking his hand. She exerted enough pressure for him to get the hint that he was supposed to stand. He really hoped she had further instructions after that because what the heck were they doing right now? Charlie looked suspicious until Kono wrapped Steve's arm around her waist and Steve wanting only to cooperate in whatever it was Kono was trying to accomplish, pulled her against him and smiled quite sincerely at Charlie. That's when he got it. She was using him not to flirt with Fong, but to avoid him. She could drop kick a bad guy without a second thought but hurting the feelings of someone she worked with was much harder for her. Thinking it best to leave Charlie in no doubt of Kono's status as unavailable Steve leaned down and gently kissed Kono's head.

"You'll keep our secret, Fong?" Steve asked without taking his eyes off of Kono who had looked up at him in surprise at the forehead kiss.

Charlie now looked like he wanted to look angry but after taking a quick inventory of Steve's height and biceps he opted for sulky instead.

"Sure . ." he mumbled something else unintelligible.

Kono shifted to move away from Steve but he held her firmly in place.

"Better maintain our cover." He said with a smile.

"Our cover is a boss and his employee dating on the sly." She laughed. "And I am counting on Charlie being too drunk to remember or too uncertain to repeat what just happened. So let's not provide any corroborating evidence."

"Fine, but we should really leave together or, drunk or not, he won't buy it at all and you will be stuck having to actually explain to him that you are not interested."

Kono looked truly distressed at this. She took a deep swallow of her beer before answering.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Do you mind? "

No, no I don't. Steve thought.

"I think I'll get over it." He grabbed Danny's brother's jacket. "Let's go."

He placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd who were now in the throes of "beauty school drop out". Kono didn't object and Steve called this a small victory. Kono, presumably, chalked it up to his desire to give Charlie enough evidence to leave her alone at least for the time being.

When they got outside she moved a little away from him increasing the small distance he felt he could maintain in light of their pretend covert relationship.

"Where's your car?" Steve asked.

"Don't have one." She smiled. "I came with Chin. Who left pretty quickly when Malia called to say she had gotten off early. He actually completely forgot about me until about ten minutes before you arrived when he texted me to say "sorry I ditched you.""

"So you really do need a ride?" Steve asked with a smirk which he tried somewhat successfully to tone down.

"Yes. Do you mind?"

"Well what kind of fake secret boyfriend would I be if I left you stranded and at the mercy of our dear Mr. Fong?"

"Exactly." Kono smiled heading to Steve's truck.

They rode in silence for a few minutes until Steve couldn't resist the opportunity to find out about Kono's romantic inclinations. Hoping he wouldn't regret hearing what she had to say he asked, "so why the elaborate scheme to deflect Charlie's interest?"

"I told you I know I am a coward but it just seemed easier for both of us if there was a reason other than I'm just not attracted to you. That just seems coldly unnecessary."

"I get that. I mean I will mock you for it on occasion, but I get it. What I meant was why aren't you interested, but I guess you just answered that. No attraction?"

"No, I mean he is a fine looking guy, but there just isn't any chemistry between us." Kono said. "I wish there was I think he'd be perfect for me."

No, no he would not. Steve thought wanting so much to ask her what made him so perfect but decided on another question.

"So attraction is essential for you right off the bat?"

"Yeah," Kono said quickly, "I mean without it there can be great friendship and loyalty and trust, but nothing romantic. I mean it's all about spark."

"And the spark can't come later?"

"It never has for me. I mean I'm either attracted to someone or I'm not."

"I see." Steve tried to hide his disappointment. He was hoping to ease Kono in to the idea of him as something other than a boss, but it seemed that once she had categorized someone they stayed in that category. Wow that was kind of final.

"I mean there's always the situation where there is spark but there can't be anything more. And that can sometimes change, but the spark has to be there to start or there's no shot."

"I don't follow." And he really didn't but mostly because he was only using a quarter of his brain to listen to her. The rest was acknowledging and coming to grips with the fact that his vague and distant plan of starting a relationship with Kono was actually never going to happen.

"Like with us." She began. Now she had 100% of his attention.

"What about us?" he asked earnestly.

"I mean that day on the beach when we met I was so completely attracted to you. But then you ended up being my boss. So plenty of spark but no relationship possibility. A waste really." She giggled.

So much to look at here. But the giggle raised his suspicions.

"Kono," he asked. "How much did you have to drink?"

"I had a few pink ladies." She confessed after a moment's thought. "Not sure what was in them, but I felt fine."

Ahh the pink mystery drinks in the strange glasses.

"Felt?"

"Yeah, now I think maybe they were stronger than I thought. Not sure what was in them. Delayed reaction."

Her words were getting slower. Perhaps this was a blessing.

"So there was plenty of spark?" he asked.

"Steve," she said in a deeply serious tone. "You are a smart guy I don't think you unaware of how hot you are. You can't be its too obvious."

This conversation was getting better and better.

"I understand that some women find me attractive, but that doesn't mean you are attracted to me."

"Huh," she said after a moment. "I am better than I thought."

"Kono," he began, but she interrupted him.

"Steve," she groaned. "Pull over. The pink ladies are coming back up."

He pulled the truck over quickly and came around to her side to open the door. She had her eyes closed and her head back against the seat.

"Still feel like you are going to throw up?" he asked gently.

"No." she whispered. "Sorry, Steve. I can usually hold my liquor better than this."

"Don't apologize." He said placing his hand on her cheek to check her temperature. "How do you feel?"

"Foolish." She said turning her face in to his hand. "That's nice."

Yes, yes it is he thought.

"I'll get you home."

In the five minutes it took to get to her apartment Kono fell fast asleep. When he pulled up in front of her building Steve tried waking her. First he said her name several times then he shook her shoulder gently. She was out cold. Oh well, he was left with no choice but to carry her. I mean, he could have maybe spoken a little more loudly or shaken her a little harder, but whatever.

After undoing her seatbelt he scooped her into his arms. She was so light. He shifted her weight and took the key from her purse opening the door and then using her feet to push it open. Of course he wasn't sure where her bedroom was but as there were only three doors to choose from he found it fairly quickly. After laying her on the bed Steve removed her shoes and pulled the quilt over her.

"Good night, Kono." He whispered placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"Night, Steve." She murmured startling him. He stood beside her for a moment waiting for some other sign of awareness. Nothing.

He left closing the door gently behind him. Resisting the temptation to look around her apartment to learn a little more about the off duty Kono he quickly went out to his truck. All and all theme movie night had turned out much better than he could have hoped. Sadly, this meant he owed Danny yet again.

Spark. There was a spark!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay between updates. I will try and be better because really I want to see where this things goes!

Steve walked in to the office feeling a mixture of nervous excitement and anxiety. He worried that Kono wouldn't remember their conversation after Max's party last night. He was hoping she would and that they could, at some point, continue it. But then again what if she did remember it and she regretted saying anything to him. It also occurred to him later that although she had indicted there was a spark between them at the beginning she never said if that was still true. He knew she felt like chemistry couldn't be created if it wasn't initially present, but could it disappear if it was ignored too long?

Not unusually he was the first one there. He went straight to his office intending to take advantage of the quiet to do more research on that illegal immigration case that they partially wrapped last week, but whose main players had remained elusive. Before he had gotten too far he heard the front office door open and shut.

Was he like a ten year old girl because his heart jumped a little at the idea that it might be Kono. This was just not okay. Having a crush on Kono was something that had become such a part of him he couldn't really imagine feeling any other way, but not being able to control his mind or his body's reaction to her was something he was reluctant to accept. Nevertheless, it was Kono he realized as he watched her walk in to her office. And the little excited feeling that assaulted him on seeing her was not all together unpleasant.

"Kono," he called out just when she had settled herself in to her desk. He decided to barrel ahead with Operation What is Kono Thinking. Avoiding his feelings and telling himself that he could never act on them had made him irritable and grumpy of late. Apparently he hadn't even been successful in hiding them from Danny. So Steve decided to try something new and very uncharacteristic. Going with it. It wasn't so much a plan as resignation to the inevitable.

"Yeah, Boss." She said with just a slight hitch to her voice. She stood in the doorway of his office squinting at the dim light it emitted.

"Wanted to make sure you were okay?" he said with a smile. Silently adding – and see how much you remember.

"No, I'm good." She said without meeting his eyes. "did you, I mean did I . . ." Kono was uncharacteristically tongue tied and Steve wondered what she was trying to say.

"What ?" he asked with a smirk. "Did we what?"

"Steve!" she didn't stomp her foot but Steve was pretty sure she wanted to.

"You called me Steve." He said softly not concealing how happy this made him.

"I did." She said stepping closer. "Now, Steve could you please just put me out of my misery and tell me what happened last night after I almost threw up because I was a little freaked out when I woke up and couldn't remember how I got into my bed and since I knew you brought me home . . ."

"You thought I took advantage of you?" he tried to sound light but he was genuinely hurt that she would think even for a second that he would do anything like that. Seriously had she met him? Or did she know how he felt about her and was worried he had used the situation to his advantage?

"No, I thought maybe I had . . .?" she was standing about two feet in front of him but refused to look him in the eye. As she dipped her head to study their shoes Steve noticed the back of her neck was turning a lovely shade of pink. Why was she blushing? Now he was really confused.

"You thought you had what?" he asked.

Head still down she mumbled something. Not knowing what she was thinking here was driving him crazy because it somehow seemed fundamental to the whole Steve Kono dynamic.

"Kono," he said as he placed his fingers under her chin and gently brought her head up to look at him. Still no eye contact. "What is worrying you?"

"Okay," she said in a voice that sounded a little more like her own. "Did I say anything or I mean do anything that made you feel uncomfortable?"

Uncomfortable Steve thought. Yeah he was uncomfortable just standing this close to her and when she starts talking about sparks between them and he can't do anything about it he feels pretty freaking uncomfortable, but he supposed that was not what she meant. What did she mean?

"Oh God I did?" she said during his brief hesitation. Now she was trying to make eye contact and he had avoided it.

"No, I . . " he sought words to explain, but he still wasn't sure what she thought she did or how he could assure her she didn't. He had to get those sparks out of his head because she was legit worried about something. Before he could say anything more she was pacing and rambling. He was fascinated by this nervous uncertain side her which he had never seen even a hint of before.

"I mean I usually just ramble and get sort of giggly but I mean . . ." she was walking back and forth between him and the end of his desk. It was pretty cute so he waited plus he was loath to interrupt her before he found out just what she thought she did. "But you have to know that if it wasn't for those stupid fruity pink drinks plus I think maybe mixing them with beers was the issue I mean I never drink those fruity things. You can't even taste the alcohol so how are you supposed to know you've had too much I mean seriously they were pink what's that about . . "

"Kono," Steve interrupted gently. "You are rambling now and I hope you aren't still drunk."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly standing still in front of him and tucking a stray lock behind her ear. Focus Steve. Taking a deep breath she plunged ahead, "I just mean to say that I know you are my boss and I would never dream of acting on my feelings, I mean outside of my drunken idiocy, I can keep things in check like I have been this past year, I swear I just don't want things to change between us or for you to think I can't handle things with us. I'll even swear off of alcohol if that would make you feel more certain that I would never do anything like that again."

Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

"Kono, what exactly are you assuring me will never happen again?" he asked carefully.

"Gee, Boss I didn't think you'd enjoy this so much. I messed up okay." No eye contact again.

"Kono," he said a little more sharply than he intended. Waiting until she looked at him he continued, "just so we are certain we are on the same page you are assuring me you will never again . . .." he raised a brow indicating she should fill in the blanks.

"Come on to you." She finally blurted out. "Okay, happy?"

Yeah, yeah he was.

"So you think you came on to me last night because . . ." again the brow.

"Geez do we need this much clarity?" When he inclined his head for her to answer she did. "When I am drunk I know I sometimes get very honest and a little bold so the snatches of our conversation that I remember and you carrying me into my apartment I think I remember . . . can this please be enough? I won't do anything like that again no matter how I feel. I noticed you may have a little thing for Lori and I can deal with it I swear. But for stupid pink drinks you would never have known anything about how I feel so I think we can both agree I am very good at keeping it to myself and not letting it interfere with my job or the team. Okay?"

No, no it's most certainly not okay. Steve smiled broadly blessing those little pink drinks and Kono's very faulty memory. If Danny were there he no doubt would have attributed Steve's sudden joyful look to the arrival of the latest Guns and Ammo catalog or the discovery of cargo pants in a new color. This was not a smile Steve wore often, but really this girl, this beautiful girl, woman, whom he had had a crush on for over a year now stood in front him begrudgingly confessing she felt the same way . Granted she was doing so in a strange, roundabout and somewhat humorous manner having no idea he might possibly feel the same. It really didn't get any better than this.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve tried to smooth his features in to some semblance of normalcy, but he wasn't sure he succeeded because he really had no control over the broad smile that resulted from Kono's revelations. Could she really have had a crush on him the whole time he had one of her? She never showed a sign. Of course judging by what she was saying she had no idea of his feelings either. It was time he remedied that.

"Kono," he said gently waiting until she raised her eyes to look at him before continuing. "You did not come on to me at all last night."

She looked confused for a second then . . .

"Then why on earth have you been standing there making me say all this? If nothing happened why didn't you just say that and then we could move on. Did you want to embarrass me?"

"No," he said quickly a little taken aback by her abrupt shift from embarrassment to anger. "I really didn't know what you were talking about at first and then . ."

"And then you thought it'd be fun to tease the rookie?" she accused.

"I don't think of you as the rookie, Kono and you know that."

"Beside the point, Steve."

"I like it when you call me Steve." He smiled his most charming smile and Kono rolled her eyes.

"Also not the point, Boss. Why?"

"Because once you started rambling it seemed that maybe you were saying you had feelings for me beyond the team, beyond friendship and I needed to know if that was the case?"

"Why? That is highly embarrassing for me and really unnecessary."

"Unless I feel the same way." He said simply. "It would matter then."

"Yeah I guess it would but like I said I get that you have a little thing for Lori and to be honest I'm sure she returns the feeling so . . ."

"Kono," he cut her off. Here eyrs were focused somewhere on his right shoulder and he wanted her to look him in the eye.

"Steve." She imitated his tone. He smiled again, he really just couldn't help it. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing here is funny, Kono. Well except maybe your rambling and your inability to hear the words I am saying when you are nervous and angry and really just off your game."

"Gee thanks." She snapped.

"And so back to these feelings you have for me." He said closing the two foot distance between them but not reaching out to touch her yet. He had to be sure. "Is it just a spark or something more?"

"I didn't say anything about a spark." She answered a little frantically.

"You did last night."

"You said I didn't come on to you." Now she looked him in the eye with accusation clear in hers.

"You didn't, but you may have revealed that you felt a spark between us when we first met." She opened her mouth to interrupt but he held a hand up to stop her. "And then today you referenced feelings and I just want to be sure what kind of feelings we are talking about. Are these feelings simple attraction? Are they shallow sort of if we were the last people on earth I would consider you as an option? Are they . . ."

"Why do you need to know?"

"I need to know." He looked deeply in to her eyes trying to see if the answer was there. She didn't look away but he couldn't read anything. She was too good at masking her emotions.

"Looking for an ego boost?"

"No." he couldn't really explain why he didn't just tell her he had feelings too. He just wasn't ready to bare his soul if she just thought he was cute and maybe you know fun. His feelings had gone too deep to be satisfied with that and although he would accept it as a beginning he wouldn't reveal his feelings to her. "Kono, please."

"Fine," she snapped still looking him in the eye and seemingly bracing herself for something painful. "I think I love you. I love your smile. I love the way you protect the people you care about. I love how awkward you are in overly emotional situations and how comfortable you are in a shootout. I love your quirky sense of humor. I love the way you surf and in a related story the way you look doing. The way you look doing anything. I love what a patient and forceful leader you are. I love your single-minded devotion to a case. I am pathetic and have been falling more and more in love with you since that day we . . . why am I telling you this?"

"Because before I told you that I think I am falling in love with you I wanted to know you felt the same way." Their eyes held neither moved or seemed to breathe for a full minute.

"Coward." Kono said softly.

"Agreed." Steve responded gently before lifting his hands to her face and leaning in to gently brush his lips against hers. It was over in a moment and Steve pulled back slightly to gage her reaction still not quite believing she felt what she said she felt and they were really in this moment together.

"Seriously," she said after seeming to catch her breath. "You mean it? I had no idea."

"Me neither." Steve laughed. "I guess we are both a little too good at hiding our feelings. Good for the job bad for the heart. So what now?"

In answer Kono leaned her whole body against his and kissed him deeply and passionately. He responded immediately, but after a minute or two or it could have been ten because seriously she was a really good kisser and she was Kono and he could not believe this was happening, he pulled back. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and his rested on her hips.

"Kono," he whispered surprised at how unsteady his voice sounded. "Chin is always here by 8." She leaned her head back gave him a broad smile before tipping her head around him to see the clock on the wall. "That gives us a good three minutes." With that she leaned up and kissed him again and although he intended to argue about how Chin could possibly be early and they still needed to talk about what just happened he kind of didn't care about any of that once her lips were on his again. Fortunately Chin made a loud entrance that morning chatting on his cell phone with one of their many cousins. When they heard his voice around the corner they broke apart like teenagers caught in a make out sessions by their parents. They looked at each other as Chin came in to view and laughed. Chin just waved a hand at them and went in to his office still on the phone.

"So," Steve said after Chin was out of sight. "The rest of the team should be here monetarily kind of limiting our ability for a private conversation."

"Private conversation is that what we're after?" she teased with a raised brow. Steve was pretty sure he actually blushed. Kono boldly flirting with him was a lot to get used to. Before Steve could respond Danny walked with Lori loudly bemoaning the amount of sand on the pineapple infested island they called home. Steve's phone rang and Kono made a move to leave is office. He placed a detaining hand on her arm.

"Dinner tonight?"

"Absolutely." She said her smile indicating she might possibly be as happy about what had transpired in the last ten minutes as he was.

"Great." He looked at his phone. "It's Jenna," he told her the surprise evident in his voice.

"Keep me posted on that." Kono said stepping out as Steve picked up the call.

Several hours later Steve sat at his desk and cursed the direction the day had taken. He had hoped to be eagerly anticipating a romantic dinner with Kono instead he was explaining to Danny why and how he would be secretly entering North Korea on a precarious rescue mission. He was happy for Jenna and the possibility that her fiancé was still alive had to be investigated, but the timing was not the best.

He knew his team could handle the investigation in the Bethany Morris case. Danny, Chin and Lori had been on scene with him and they had proceeded through the initial stages fairly quickly already. Steve was confident in their ability to find her killer and unravel the mystery. And he was fairly confident in his ability to help Jenna find and bring home her fiancé, if he was in fact alive. No this nagging feeling of regret had nothing to do with work or imminent danger and everything to do with the stunning officer now standing in his doorway.

"Boss, you wanted to see me?" she said unable to keep a goofy smile off of her face that Steve suspected looked much like his own whenever he looked at her today.

"Yes," he said telling himself to stay focused. "Have a seat." He rose to close his door. The glass gave them no visual privacy but at least he could keep the content of their conversation from the others.

"I had lunch with Jenna today." He began.

"She's back on the island? Why haven't we heard from her the past few months?"

"She has been investigating her fiancé's disappearance."

"Disappearance?" Kono asked. "I thought he was dead."

"So did she." Steve told her coming to sit in the chair next to hers. Their knees brushed against each other and he had to force himself to focus on the conversation and not the sensations this created. "She has found out he is alive and being held in North Korea."

"I can see where this is going."

"You can?"

"Sure, she came to ask you to help her get him back."

"Essentially yes."

"And you, of course, agreed."

"I did." He couldn't read her feelings about this in her eyes or her voice which was very matter of fact.

"When do you leave?"

"In an hour." He said quickly. "You're okay with this."

"Okay with you risking your life for a friend?" Kono asked with an almost sad smile. "You seem to do it on a regular basis and the inclination is part of what I admire so much about you."

The sentence seemed incomplete.

"But?" he asked.

"But I won't lie to you and say my heart and mind aren't already racing with fear at the thought of the unbelievable danger you are putting yourself in."

"So where does that leave us?"

"It leaves you on a plane to North Korea and me here trying to solve a murder and trying to not think about the 1001 ways this could go wrong."

"You are amazing." He said wanting so much to kiss her, but mindful of the three other members of their team only a few feet away gathered around the smart board. "When I get back I am making you dinner and we are going to figure out how to be us in the midst of these very interesting lives we lead.

"Sounds good." She almost whispered leaning toward him and increasing the temptation to kiss her a hundred fold.

"I do have one thing to ask of you?"

"Something other than my sitting demurely by while you run off into hostile territory to play Rambo?" She tried t keep her voice as steady and nonchalant as it had been, but she wasn't entirely successful and Steve sensed some of the emotions she was clearly trying to conceal in order to allow him to do what he needed to do. He was grateful for her efforts, but not so grateful he wouldn't ask her the favor he needed.

"Yes and I am asking you to give me your word."

"My word on what?" she asked the concern evident in her voice now.

"You cannot under any circumstances come after me."

"What?" she jumped up out of the seat. "Why would you ask me that unless you thought something would go wrong? And if it did how could you ask that of me at all?" Kono was pacing now.

"Kono," he said with a quick glance out the door of his office. No one seemed to be paying attention to them. "I don't expect things to go wrong. This sounds like simple ransom for prisoner swap."

"Then why ask me to promise?"

"For my own peace of mind, Kono." She looked like she was about to refuse, but he plunged ahead. "This new thing between us has us both very emotional right now. And if for some reason something goes wrong I will have enough to deal with without worrying about you getting mixed up in something. I need to know that no matter what I do with this you will be safe."

"Steve, I can't promise that."

"Please, I don't think I can do this knowing you could somehow be hurt by my . . ."

"Recklessness?"

"Yes. Fine recklessness. I am not used to having someone to worry about like this . . I don't know how to . . it's just so new and Jenna needs me . . and I can't . . ."

Kono stopped him by laying her hand on his cheek. He knew he wasn't making sense but he just needed to know that she wouldn't be put in danger because of his decision.

"Steve," she said causing him to look her in the eye. "When you get back we will have an extensive discussion about my willingness and ability to look after myself, about the inherent dangers of my job which will in no way diminish as result of us being together, about our need to protect each other. But for now I give you my word. I will not set foot in North Korea."

"No matter what?" he pressed hating the weakness that made him need this from her. There was just this tiny piece of a feeling about the situation with Jenna. Something wasn't right, but he was confident in his ability to figure out a way to deal with whatever might come and help Jenna bring her fiancé home. He was willing to risk himself on that confidence, but not her, never her.

"No matter what." She said dropping her hand.

"I'm sorry." He said not entirely sure what he was apologizing for, but feeling like he wasn't being entirely fair to her. Steve through his bag over his shoulder and with just one look over his shoulder at her. Kono's back was still to him, but he could read the slight slump in her shoulders. She was already worried and he knew they would each have to deal with their own emotions connected to their new found feelings. He fully expected to be wining and dining her within forty-eight hours and they could talk it to death then if she liked. Actually, he might be the one who needed that.

"Promise me something in return?" she said without turning to face him.

"What?"

"Come back." She said softly. They both knew he couldn't realistically promise this and he didn't give his word lightly, but in that moment he felt sure that whatever this was between them was something he had waited his whole life for and he couldn't believe it would be taken away from them at the very moment they had discovered it and so he promised her.

"I will."

So clearly the North Korea excursion had not gone as planned. When Steve heard the firefight outside the convoy he knew his team had come to rescue him and while thanking God for this he also quickly berating himself for placing them in danger. He was pleased although somewhat surprised that Kono was not among those who pulled him from the back of Wo Fat's jeep. When she didn't emerge from the helicopter he was almost shocked. Lori's enthusiastic hug was a little strange and kind of painful. And t while he was grateful to Kono for keeping her word and thankful for his friends who risked their lives to save him he had never needed Kono as much as he did in that moment. Holding her would be the way to know it was truly over and he was home again. He reconciled himself to waiting until they touched down in Hawaii for that final peace and allowed himself to bask in the warmth of the rag tag team he had come to think of as family as they boarded a helicopter he was actually surprised could fly. It was over and they were bringing him back to her, helping him keep his promise.

When they landed just over the border in South Korea next to a make shift structure strewn with the latest technology Steve almost didn't notice the one manning the computers. Danny and Chin were on either side of him helping him alight and then she was standing just a few feet from him. Kono. Just this side of the border he realized.

"Steve." She yelled and took off running. He braced himself for an impact like the one he felt when Lori hugged him not caring about the pain he would suffer just to hold her. Not caring about what the others would think just needing her in his arms to be whole again. But she stopped when she was close enough to see the extent of his injuries. It must have been her to whom Joe relayed the information about Steve's condition while they flew because while she looked sad and possibly furious she did not look entirely surprised.

"Steve," she said again when she was close enough to touch him. She placed her hand gently on his cheek and he turned his face into its warmth and softness.

"Kono." He said looking in to her sad brown eyes and trying to say everything he couldn't say. She smiled a little and nodded. She understood. But a raised brow as she turned to lead the entourage to the makeshift cot where Steve would rest until their flight indicated to him that when he was strong enough to take it he was in for the sharp side of Kono Kalakaua's tongue.

Not the most unpleasant prospect.

.


	8. Chapter 8

The show is getting away from me, but I am trying to catch up and get current. The scenes just seem to go on longer than I intend. With my next chapter I hope to get up through last night's episode – which was pretty good no?

Steve had spent three hours at the hospital being poked and prodded by doctors, nurses and Danny who refused to leave his side. He had glimpsed Kono and the others outside his door at various times, but the doctors wouldn't allow more than one non-medical person in the room at a time. While grateful for the pain meds that seemed to be working some serious magic on at least twenty of his fifty serious injuries Steve was nearly desperate to just be with Kono. Even in the middle of this, he'd take it. His crack medical staff, Danny and the rest of Five-0 could be there too he just wanted to be with her. To see her.

In answer to his unspoken prayer Danny's phone rang and Steve recognized Grace's ringtone, which she had programmed herself. It was "Single Ladies" and it drove Danny crazy.

"Take that." Steve said trying to sound reluctantly gracious rather than ecstatic. Before he could ask Danny to send Kono in when he left, you know if she happened to still be there Danny assured him he would not be alone long.

"I'll send someone in to keep an eye on you." Because, you know, the two nurses currently monitoring his vitals and checking his dressing were clearly not enough. The door closed behind Danny and Steve tried to pry his eyes away from it but maybe his intense stare would actually help Kono materialize.

"You want me to send in your girl?" The gray haired nurse changing his iv bag asked with a grin.

"How did you know?" Steve asked.

"She has been badgering the medical staff constantly since you got here. Insisting she be allowed to see you and demanding updates from each person who exits your room. It was your partner there who insisted she be kept out. He said he knew what was best for you and she was not it right now. We trusted him, but you're stable now and I think for her sanity and that of our staff we can maybe let her be the one in here for a while."

That didn't sound like Kono. He must really have scared her.

"Yes," Steve said with his most charming smile. "Please ask her to come in."

"Will do sweetie." The nurse responded nearly blushing at Steve's smile. "Come on Luann." She said to the younger nurse who had just checked the bandage on his right side.

"Okay this is clean." Luann said. They made their way to the door when Steve heard Luann say to the other nurse "But I don't think you're sending in who he thinks you are. If you ask me the quiet one is the one he wants to see."

Before Steve could process this Lori came bursting in.

"Steve." She breathed throwing her arms out as if she intended to embrace his prone body.

"Lori," he said quickly. "Please don't' touch."

She stepped back quickly, a hurt look flashing across her face.

"Sorry," he said. "It's just that almost any contact hurts."

Seriously do you see the tubes coming out of me and perhaps you noted the sixteen bandages covering various wounds and maybe the bruises didn't escape your eagle eye? He didn't mean to be impatient with her, but his disappointment at seeing her instead of Kono was intense and that in itself annoyed him. Lori was on his team too and deserved his thanks and gratitude for her role in his rescue. That was the difference. He loved them all and wanted to show them how grateful he was but Kono had something he needed. Steve wasn't exactly sure what it was but he was fairly certain he could get it if he could even just look at her and talk to her for a moment to help him feel truly safe again. Wow that sounded weak even in his mind. Lori was talking he needed to focus.

"I have been so worried and Danny wouldn't let me in. He tried to say we could all take turns by your side, but when he wouldn't let me be first I'm afraid I got a little upset and he just wouldn't let any of us in. He's very dictatorial."

"I can't argue with that." Steve smiled, it hurt a little.

"Oh honey are you on pain?" she asked placing a hand on his leg. Coincidentally right on a bruise. He stifled a cry of pain. Did she call him honey?

The door burst open and Danny stormed in.

"Weston." Danny snapped. "I told you to stay out."

"Steve asked for me." She said simply.

"He did?" Danny raised an amused brow.

Although antagonizing Danny was one of Steve's favorite pick me ups he was adamantly unwilling to lose what might be his only ally in his quest to please for the love of God get Kono in here.

"The nurse thought I might need some female company." He said with a meaningful look hoping Danny understood.

"Of course and now you have had it. Lori I need your help." She looked ready to protest until Danny clarified. "I should say Steve needs your help." Lori turned nearly worshipful eyes to him.

"Anything." She said sincerely. At some point he would need to deal with that.

"Steve and I were supposed to take Grace to see the Muppet movie tonight, but of course now he can't go."

"But . . " Lori interrupted. Danny was not to be deterred however.

"When I explained to her that Uncle Steve was sick she specifically asked that Lori take her place and I know Steve feels awful about not being able to keep his promise to Grace and so . ." he raised his eyebrows at Steve.

"Yes, Lori please." He said using his second most charming smile. I mean the girl clearly already had a crush he didn't want to make it worst but coming on full force. But he would do almost anything to get her out of here. "It would mean so much to me."

She looked uncertain. Wanting a way to refuse but . . .

"You did say anything." Danny pointed out.

"Of course." She said finally. "If it will make you feel better then absolutely. When is the movie?

Now, Danny please now - Steve thought.

"In about ten minutes so Step-Stan is bringing Grace to the theater and we have to leave now to meet her there.

"Well then," Lori turned to Steve looking like she might lean in for some kind of kiss but Danny tugged her arm. 

"Bye," he said pulling her toward the door. "I'll see if there is anyone else who can sit with you."

A few minutes later Luann the nurse came back in.

"There is someone who would very much like to see you." She said softly, stepping to one side. Behind her stood Kono. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, but when she laid her eyes on him Steve could not help but thrill at the broad smile that swept across her beautiful face.

"Hi." She said after a minute. Luann looked between the two of them with a smile of her own. "I told Harriet you were the one." She said to Kono laying a hand on her arm as she moved to leave.

"How did you know?" Steve asked.

"She just sat their quietly listening to every update by every nurse or doctor and stared at that door with more love and concern in her eyes than I have seen in a long time." With a sigh she exited.

"That was a little awkward." Kono said moving to stand by Steve's bedside.

"What?" Steve asked inwardly beaming at the nurse's words.

"My apparently being so obvious that even a stranger can see how I feel about you."

"I don't mind." Steve assured her reaching his hand out no longer able to resist the urge to touch her.

"I bet you don't." she said without much annoyance. When she was close enough she placed one hand in his and gently touched his cheek with the other. "You look awful."

"Thanks, you look amazing." She turned her head away slightly and was she blushing?

"If my simply pointing out the obviousness of your beauty is enough to make you blush I am looking forward to your turning a few shades of red at least ten times a day."

"I'm glad I can give you something to look forward to." She teased. When she moved to sit in the chair beside the bed Steve shook his head.

"Sit here." He said indicating the side of the bed. The small movement to scoot over and give her space sent pain shooting in all directions he hid it well, but Kono watched him closely.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked when she had settled herself in. He stroked her bare knee with his right hand his left lay on his lap still holding hers.

"Not too much. I got a manicure, went surfing . . ." she turned her head away, but not before Steve saw her eyes fill up with tears.

"Kono," he said gently. Then he waited until she turned back and was ready to tell him what was wrong.

"I'm sorry." She said after a few deep breaths. "You don't need any drama after what you've been through." She sniffled.

"Kono you're not drama." He assured her wanting to know what brought on her tears, but not wanting to push her in what was obviously unfamiliar territory for them both. "It's okay that you are crying I just want to know why."

That apparently did the trick because she seemed to go from weepy to angry in two seconds flat.

"Why?" she repeated incredulously standing up and stepping back from the bed. "I don't know Steve maybe because you almost died. Maybe because I had to imagine a world where you didn't exists and it scared the hell out of me. Maybe because your recklessness greatly reduces the probability that this is the last time I will be sitting beside you in a hospital bed and maybe because Lori got to see you before I did and I had to listen to her gush about how this experience made her realize that you two should just go for it and forget the working together thing because life is too short. And I had to not drop kick her because you know she's one of my partners and has no idea she's talking about the things she wants to do to my boyfriend. " she stopped talking and pacing and looked up at him sheepishly. "Also I haven't slept in forty-eight hours and that may have some impact on all of this."

Steve wanted to burst out laughing. She was incredible. In the middle of a very serious rant she managed to find humor and bring herself and him out of the emotionally charged situation with her candor and wit.

"I love you." He laughed. Had that been out loud? Kono's wide eyed look of shock would indicate yes. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"But did you mean it?"

"I did." He said holding his hand out once again. When she came closer and placed hers in it he continued. "I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that. I wanted to ease you in to it without going all scary intense super seal on you. But as trite as it is Lori's right about one thing . . ."

"Really," she interrupted. "You're going to bring in the blond with a big time crush on you in the midst of explaining to me that you love me?"

He laughed again.

"Sorry, what I mean is she's right that life is too short. I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I don't want to go another day afraid to tell you the truth. And the truth is, Kono Kalakua, that I have loved you since that day we rescued those students from the faux pirates and I'm not going to pretend otherwise for another minute."

"That's when I realized I loved you too." She burst out and then slapped her hand over her mouth. "I was so going to make you sweat for a while and there I go just blurting it out."

"Not sure what to do with that." Steve smiled, "but I am not sorry you were unable to carry out your sinister plan of torturing a broken man. You said that's when you realized you loved me. I think that was when I fell in love with you, but I didn't realize it until that day we shared the dubious distinction of being booked at the same time at HPD."

"Tell me more." She said settling in to her former spot on the bed. Steve gently urged her to lay her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Kono," Steve said not trying to conceal the emotion or need in his voice. "I need to hold you."

Without another word she slowly worked herself very gently in to his arms. Her head on his shoulder, her arm around his waist and her legs stacked pressing against his.

"Comfortable?" he asked when she seemed settled.

"Not very," she responded, but held him fast when he tried to move. "I wouldn't move from this position if you offered me my surfing knee back. I need it too."

Steve took that in.

"Now," she said in a very sleepy and did he mention sexy voice tell me all about falling in love with me."

Steve really did start or at least he thought he did, but they were both asleep within minutes and when Luann came to check on them they didn't move a muscle when she checked Steve's iv bag , when she spread a blanket over Kono or when she shut the light off and left again.


	9. Chapter 9

First of all thank you to those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. I received so much encouragement – thank you! So my apologies for abandoning this story for so long. Five-0 did not cooperate with me and my storylines and I felt uncertain about how to wrap this one up. I had intended to make this a brief ending, but the characters seem to have a bit more to say so there will be at least one more chapter after this and I promise it will come quicker than last time.

The team's unauthorized excursion had distinct ramifications for all those involved. For Joe it meant an abrupt end to a long Navy career. For Steve it meant five days in the hospital and a serious talking to from Governor Denning. For the rest of the team it meant a lot of paperwork and solving a murder case and a string of jewel heists while down a man. For Steve and Kono's nascent relationship it meant . . .well they were still figuring that out one week later as they saw each other for the first time at Chin and Malia's engagement party which Kono's parents were hosting.

After spending the night by Steve's side convincing herself that he was really all right Kono felt self-conscious about potentially being found curled around him like . . . well like she was his girlfriend. They had yet to have many conversations about what their feelings for each other meant. One of the many unknowns was how they were going to handle telling the rest of the team, HPD or anyone at all about their relationship. And so Kono had gone into avoidance mode. Not entirely intentionally. She just let Danny, Chin and Lori take the lead in all things Steve related while she threw herself into their cases - much to the chagrin of the criminal element of Oahu who found themselves no match of a Kono Kalakaua in need of an outlet for her restless Steve-related energy.

Steve had called Kono every day, multiple times a day, since he woke up alone in the hospital. At first, although he was saddened by it, he didn't think much of her absence. He assumed she wasn't ready to out their relationship by being found in bed together, even if it was a hospital bed. That was fine with him. He didn't care if everyone knew, but Kono might be more reluctant and he had to admit the ramifications to her career would be greater than to his. So he felt she should be allowed to take the lead on that issue. But after two days of her not returning his calls Steve started to wonder if she regretted their hasty understanding reached before he essentially abandoned her on yet another reckless mission. For another two days he remained confident in his ability to persuade her, remembering the way she kissed him, the look in her eye when she saw him in Korea, the way she felt when she held him in the hospital. He could tell her feelings were almost as deep as his. They had both been falling for each other long before they made their confessions. They were building on months, almost a year, of feelings if only minutes of conversation. He was sure he could help her see that they could make it work until day five of not hearing from her. That was also the day he went home from the hospital. The day helicopter Lori, a nickname the guys gave her as a result of her constant hovering, as opposed to Kono drove him home and offered to spend the night to "keep an eye on him."

When Danny checked on him the next morning he was mentally reviewing everything they had said to each other right before and after he want to Korea and texting her about once an hour.

"How are you holding up?" Danny asked settling in to the beach chair next to Steve and handing him a beer. His partner's reaction to Steve's near death experience vacillated between belligerent anger and uncharacteristic sympathy. Apparently today Steve would be treated to the latter.

"Okay. I am off the pain meds for the most part. The Doctor keeps insisting I will need physical therapy but I don't think I will."

"Yeah that's great but not what I meant."

"I know I got hit on the head pretty hard but I think you just asked how I was doing."

"Yeah but I didn't mean your injuries. You're Steve McGarrett. You're like Rambo meets James Bond when it comes to taking a punch, or fifty. Once the Doctor's assured us you had only two broken ribs and needed less than two hundred stitches I stopped worrying about it."

"Thanks, man. Glad to know you care." Steve answered sardonically.

"I do and that's why I want to know how you are doing."

"Doing with what?"

"With Kono ignoring you." Danny said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Steve looked at Danny with panic in his eyes totally unsure how to respond and totally unwilling to believe that his infuriating partner had actually discerned something he had meant to keep hidden.

"Not sure what you mean Bud." Steve said opting for evasion while he contemplated a way to change the subject.

"I realize this is difficult because I am attempting to talk about – gasp – feelings, but I need you to try because I think you are already screwing up the best thing to happen to you since cargo pants became available on Amazon."

"How am I screwing up?" Steve demanded completely forgetting about his earlier tactical plan of deny, avoid, deny.

"Well you two seem to have cooled off considerably since your cuddle fest at the hospital and since Kono is a lovely well adjusted emotionally available grown up I used my considerable powers of deduction to deduce that you my friend are the cause of said problem."

"You saw us in the hospital?" Steve asked choosing to ask the first of ten questions that popped in to his head during Danny's short speech.

"No of course not I was captaining Operation Keep Lori Busy. Chin texted me a picture."

"Chin saw us?" Steve was incredulous. How could Chin have seen them and not said anything?

"See this here is what I am talking about." Danny said with his usual air of long suffering superiority.

"What?" Steve demanded suddenly regretted not taking the pain medication the Doctor kept insisting on. Danny could make his hurt more than several hours of torture at the hands of his mortal enemy.

"I am trying to get you to address a serious emotional issue and you are avoiding it with tangential issues."

"They are not tangential to me."

Danny just crossed his arms and stared Steve down until finally he felt he had to say something just to wipe that look off of his partner's face.

"I don't know what I did wrong, but you're right I know it must be me." He conceded with a tired sigh.

"Okay you know that much and as your hero and life coach GI Joe taught us – knowing is half the battle."

"What's the other half?"

"Fixing it."

"I would love to fix it, Danny but one I don't know what is broken and two Kono is avoiding me and not returning my calls."

"But you have an idea what's wrong." Danny prodded.

"I don't know . . .everything happened so fast when we realized how we felt about each other and we didn't get to talk about much of anything. I thought maybe she was worried about how we might be perceived by you guys and the rest of HPD. But I already decided that we can play it any way she wants. Total secrecy to full disclosure by going together to Governor Denning. It's her call."

"Does she know that? Because I think, although I want to kill him in twenty four inventive and painful ways, we might actually owe something to Wo Fat for knocking your human gene loose. You have made a perceptive observation about someone of the opposite sex and ceded control in order to spare them emotional pain."

"Great thank you for that very backward bit of praise but my incredible insight and willingness to compromise mean exactly squat of she won't talk to me."

"Well maybe the best way to show her you are willing to let her take the lead in the relationship isn't to telephonically stalk her. Perhaps a better way would be to wait and let her make the first move."

"You know I think the ride in that barely airworthy helicopter may have knocked something loose for you as well because that was actually helpful."

"You're welcome." Danny said punching Steve none so gently in his injured shoulder. "And perhaps your wait won't be so long and painful since you will both be at Chin and Malia's party tomorrow."

"I had thought of that." Steve admitted with a smile.

Steve had spotted Kono the second he arrived at her parents' house and he was pretty sure she saw him too. But in keeping with Danny's advice, there's a first time for everything, he resisted the impulse to go right to her and demand she talk to him and went instead to Chin offering him congratulations again. He made the rounds finding Malia and some officers he knew from HPD. Pretty quickly he was out of small talk and so he grabbed a beer and made his way to the small beach behind the house.

That's where Kono spotted him ten minutes later. When she saw him walk in she had held her breath. His bruises had mostly healed but she could see the scar he would likely bear from now on along his left temple. She remembered running her fingers along the stitches while he slept and kissing it gently before falling asleep herself. The feelings she had felt so strongly in that moment had not faded, but she was not sure that meant they could make a relationship work without tanking her career in the process. When she saw him a small part of her insisted it would be worth it. But then she remembered how hard she had worked to get where she was and all the people she had helped and would help in the future. She could not throw that away. Kono watched him circulate briefly, essentially following him at a distance as he made his way through the few acquaintances he had at the party. Now she stood watching him stand at the edge of the water and she desperately wished she could know what he was thinking.

"You're doing a better job of torturing him than our friend Wo Fat you know." A familiar voice from behind her accused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked as Danny came to stand beside her.

"It means he is going crazy not knowing what you are thinking inside that pretty little head of yours." When she started to defend herself Danny held up his hand. "Steve can take the physical hits better than anyone we both know that but he not so adept at enduring the emotional ones."

"I don't think I am inflicting any hits – emotional or otherwise." Kono maintained, but when Danny fixed her with the stare that had finally broken Steve it had the same effect on Kono. "How do you know what's going on between us?"

"I don't. Because you two don't know what's going on between you so could you please go talk to him, figure that out and then CC me on the memo."

Kono glanced at Steve and then back at Danny clearly uncertain.

"He cares about you, Kono and I know you care about him. Don't ignore that because it's complicated. See if you can figure it out." She sighed and started to walk toward the beach when Danny's voice stopped her. "Please don't hurt him." He said in a quiet voice. "He is the most exasperating human being I have yet to encounter, but he's also one of the best men I have ever met. He's my brother."

"He's mine too." She said simply before kissing Danny on the cheek and moving onto the beach still entirely uncertain about what to say.

Steve heard someone approaching and, assuming it was Danny, didn't turn around until they were right beside him.

"Hey." Kono said quietly.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey." Steve said trying to match her casual tone.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Steve asked quickly still afraid to turn and look at her, afraid that any sudden move on his part might scare her away.

"For ignoring your calls and texts instead of just telling you I needed time."

"I would have given you time." Steve told her turning to face her.

"I know. I guess I wasn't even up for that conversation which is so lame because you were the one who went through something, something major and instead of being there for you I cut and ran."

"That's not important." Steve said dismissing her concern about him with a wave of his hand. "What I want to know is how that conversation would have gone."

"Well I guess I would have said something like - I meant everything I said ten days ago and that kiss was the best one I've ever had, but I'm not sure what this looks like in the light of day. What it looks like for me to be dating my boss."

Steve released the breath neither of them knew he had been holding.

"That is something we can figure out Kalkaua." He said, his usual cocky smirk making its first appearance since before Korea.

"You're not mad?" She asked taking a step toward him essentially eliminating any space between them.

"No. Honestly I was too worried to be mad. And now that I know for sure what the problem is I feel like between the two of us we can find a solution."

"I didn't mean to worry you." She said sympathetically.

"Well you did, but that doesn't matter now. Now we need to figure out a way to do this, to be us without you feeling like your career is being compromised."

"One of the many benefits of being in a relationship with the pragmatic Steve McGarrett. No unnecessary analysis." Kono smiled reaching out to take his hand.

"I just don't see the point in talking something to death when we know what the real problem is. Now we can spend what limited amount of time I have allocated to talking this evening to solving that problem." Steve informed her taking her other hand and pulling her against him.

"And exactly how much time have you allocated to talking?" Kono asked with a knowing smile.

"I'm sorry I can't answer that because the talking portion of our program has come to an end." With that Steve closed the last millimeter of space he had left between their lips. The kiss was as passionate and tender as the one they had shared in his office not so long ago. But just when Steve felt like they were getting warmed up Kono stepped back and restored some distance between them once again.

"I apologize for going off program but we still haven't addressed my concern." She told him when her breathing had evened out enough to allow for speech because seriously he was a phenomenal kisser.

"Right, sorry." Steve said sounding a little unsteady himself. "I just missed you this past week."

"I missed you too."

"Good to know. Now about the issue at hand - it's your call. When it comes to outing this relationship you decide when, how, who, if. I will follow your lead.

"So I'm the boss?" She asked with a grin.

"Yes, in this and only this you are the boss."

"I like that."

"Yes I can see that. Now do you feel comfortable with that? Do you need any further information or assurances from me on this matter?" Steve asked in his best Commander McGarrett voice.

"No, Commander I am completely satisfied with the assurances and information provided."

"Good because I have to tell you that as we have borrowed, "Steve paused and checked his watch, "approximately forty-five seconds of talking time from tomorrow's allotment and we should probably not take any more as that may preclude us from talking at all tomorrow." With that he wrapped Kono in a very secure embrace putting his hands behind her back and leaning his forehead against hers.

"Exactly how much time have you allotted each day for talking?" She asked with a sigh. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, I think I'll keep you guessing on that one." Steve told her before taking her mind completely off of talking for an extended period of time.

"Something you'd like to tell us?" Chin's voice vaguely registered in the back of Kono's mind, but judging by his continued attentions to her Kono was fairly certain Steve had not heard him at all. Kono pulled back enough to whisper in Steve's ear. "Chin."

That one word seemed to have the desired effect as Steve was suddenly standing at attention his hands studiously at his sides. If she wasn't completely uncertain as to what her beloved cousin's reaction might be to what he had just witnessed Kono would have found the whole thing very comical.

"Chin, hey." Steve said noting that not only was Malia with Chin but Danny was standing behind them with an obnoxious smirk on his smug little face. "This isn't what it . . I mean it is what it is, but I didn't mean to . . . well obviously I meant to, but wouldn't have . . ."

Steve had no idea what he was saying or what he planned to say next, but that was irrelevant as any other words would have been completely drown out by the loud and hearty laughter of all four people around him. Yes four. Kono was actually doubled over laughing as was Malia. Chin, as always, was a bit more retrained, but still clearly laughing and Danny was giggling like a school girl.

"What is so funny?" He demanded.

"I have just never heard you sounding so uncertain, Boss." Chin explained. Everyone else seemed to be nodding in agreement as they wiped the tears from their eyes.

"So I guess this means I'm no longer in charge of our PR." Kono said taking Steve's hand. He looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"Well, our ohana knows now, but that doesn't mean anyone else has to . . . until you're ready, Boss." Steve told her. "You're not mad?" he asked Chin.

"No. I mean if you hurt her I will end you, but you are like a brother to me and Kono has always been my little sister so . . ."

"So it's somewhat incestuous." Danny put in.

"Don't make me take you down Danno." Kono threatened.

"Why don't we give these two their privacy back." Malia suggested and the three of them moved back toward the house before Chin turned around.

"Not too much privacy, Kono. Your parents and about fifty of our aunts and uncles are within shouting distance." He advised them solemnly before putting his arm around Malia and walking back to the party. When they were alone again Kono slipped her arms around Steve's neck.

"So I have decided the next step in our relationship roll out." She told him with a smile.

"Really and who exactly are we rolling out to next?"

"Well after observing how beautifully tongue-tied and uncertain you become when revealing our relationship to my family I have decided we're going to go and talk to my parents."

"Now?" Steve asked, hoping that wasn't actual fear he heard in his own voice.

"Now." Kono confirmed slipping out of his arms and pulling him by the hand in the direction of the party.

THE END . . .For now at least


End file.
